Star-Shaped Bread
by yurinium
Summary: 'Yamabuki Bakery is in a state of emergency, and only Kasumi can help Saaya. How will it unfold? Will they survive the day!


[Toyama Household]

[Friday: Night]

Kasumi had just finished her bath as she's relaxing in her room. Taking a bath after a nice dinner was definitely the best feeling, especially after a long day at school. On a Friday night, to add, in which she was definitely looking forward to the weekend! Laying on top of her bed, Kasumi hummed while thinking by herself, _What should I do tomorrow? Practice guitar? Try out new restaurants? Visit Arisa to play with her?So many things to do, weekends are always so exciting!_ Kasumi was about to check with her band members when her phone let out a loud ping.

Poppin' Party: 1 New Message

Kasumi immediately unlocked her phone, curious on what the message was. As most of the time she was the one who started the conversation, having someone else messaging the group chat first always piqued her curiosity.

[20:40] Saaya: Apologies in advance, but can anyone please come to the Yamabuki Bakery tomorrow morning? I need all the help that I can.

[20:41] Arisa: Talk about sudden.. Geh, apologies. I already have an appointment with my grandmother. There's a lot of shipments coming in tomorrow and I have to help her to inventorize. It will take the whole day..

[20:41] O-Tae: I can't go as well.

[20:41] O-Tae:One of my rabbits is sick

[20:41] O-Tae: Need to bring him to the vet.

[20:42] O-Tae: I can't leave him alone after that. Sorry.

[20:42] Rimi-rin: I am sorry, Saaya-chan! One of my relatives will be visiting Oneechan and she gave me a shopping list to buy for her

[20:43] Rimi-rin: I think that I will spend the whole day for that as well. So I can't help you. I am sorry.

[20:43] Saaya: It's alright, no need to apologise. It's my fault for asking so suddenly, after all. It's just that, it is rather sudden on my side, as well. An emergency, one can say.

[20:44] Kasumi: Count me in!

[20:44] Kasumi: I am just wondering what to do tomorrow.

[20:44] Kasumi: You can depend on me! I am 100% free.

[20:45] Saaya: Is it really okay? I am going to need your help for the entire day, and it is physically tiring.

[20:45] Kasumi: Totally no problem! I am sure it will be fun.

[20:46] Arisa: I'd advise not to take Kasumi. She will be a burden, more than anything _

[20:46] O-Tae: Totally. You may as well do it on your own.

[20:46] O-Tae: It will yield better results.

[20:46] Kasumi: Arisa! Otae! That's mean!

Everyone immediately laughed following the flow of the chat. Kasumi resumed the conversation excitedly. Her, helping on the infamous Yamabuki bakery. It totally would be fun!

[20:47] Kasumi: And I really have nothing to do, so no worries!

[20:48] Saaya: Thank you very much, Kasumi! You can arrive at Yamabuki Bakery at 7am. When you are already there, just message me. I will be up for preparation at 5am, after all.

[20:48] Kasumi: I will definitely wake up early. See you tomorrow!

[20:49] Arisa: Don't oversleep, though…

[20:49] Kasumi: I won't!

Kasumi set her alarm immediately so that she could wake up in time the next day. It's close to 9pm, after all. "I have to wake up early, so I'll need to sleep now!" She said to herself as she turned the lights off, and headed to bed.

[Yamabuki Bakery]

[Saturday: Morning]

The next morning, Kasumi arrived at the bakery that she frequented almost every day on her way back to school, yet never this early. As expected, there were already lights from the window as she texted Saaya. Knocking or calling her out would wake the neighbours up, after all.

[05:03]Kasumi: Saaya, I am already outside!

Saaya's phone rang as she's in the kitchen, she had just finished preparing the needed ingredients, putting them on top of the big table. From Kasumi? But it's still 5am! Reading the arrival message, Saaya replied,

[05:04] Saaya: Eh? Wait a minute, I told you to come at 7- It's still so early in the morning, you surprised me. I'm opening the door now, you just wait there.

[05:04] Kasumi: I am too excited for the day! Besides, I want to see you as soon as possible.

Saaya chuckled reading those last lines as she rushed to the door. Definitely typical of Kasumi. Couldn't have her friend waiting outside on such a cold morning for long!

"Sorry for the wait!" Saaya opened the door as she smiled at her friend. Couldn't hide her happiness to have Kasumi showing up while she needed her. Welcoming Kasumi into the empty bakery as she lead her towards the preparation kitchen.

"So you see, my mother and siblings are out of town for the entire day to visit my relatives. It's kind of an emergency, after all. They will only return at midnight, so... I will need to manage the store on my own today. I am glad you are here, or else we would only be open in the morning and leave many unhappy customers.."

"We can't have that! I will try my best." Kasumi said as she washed her hands, as per instruction. Admiring the interior of the preparation room, especially the big table with lots of baking stuff. "Ah, there are lots of flour! And doughs!" Kasumi got excited seeing them, everything was new to her after all! She did desperately held back in asking too many questions, as much as she wanted to.

"Ah, yeah. They have helped me in preparation for the most part, save for those that can only be prepared in the morning. These are the fillings, and some of the overnight doughs. I still need to make some fresh ones though, so you can sit here and watch while I prepare" The baker did not want to impose on her 'assistant', after all. Kasumi helping her before the opening hours was already a big blessing for her.

"I can help with the household stuffs! I have learned a lot from Asuka, so I can even help in cleaning! Granted, I can't help with the prep but you can focus on it while leaving everything else to me." Kasumi offered, naturally she couldn't sit still having all these new things and experiences.

"Fine, I'll ask you if I need something then." Saaya chuckled as she heard that, always amused by her friend's high spirit nature. Surprisingly, Kasumi was indeed helpful as Saaya could focus on the preparation at ease. The assistant did help in simple chores like cleaning the used containers and trays.

With Saaya's instruction, Kasumi even helped in putting the small fillings (like cheese and red bean paste) inside of the bread before they entered the oven. Saaya focused on the more delicate parts, like adjusting the quantity of the fillings, to prevent overstuffing. After they were done, they put the bread dough on the baking tray, sidelining them to focus on the other products.

Even in the shaping of the cookies dough, Kasumi did a proper job (even when the cookies were mostly star shaped). Saaya just needed to decorate and added some toppings. "Want to try some?" Saaya offered the excess of the cookie dough to Kasumi, who ate it straight from Saaya's hands. "It really tastes so good!" Kasumi beamed at Saaya, in which Saaya replied with a soft smile. Too adorable.

That was when the alarm on the digital clock rang, telling both of them that it was 7am. "What's the alarm for?" Kasumi asked curiously, surprised at how time flew so fast when they were busy preparing. "It is for telling us to start baking. Help me sort the dough according to the bake time."

Yamabuki Bakery had three types of ovens. One oven for bread, being bigger in size so that it can fit longer pieces. The other, smaller oven for the cookies, with more trays slots for simultaneous baking. The last one for various kinds of pastries, in which each cubicle can be set up differently for different pastries. Kasumi, as instructed, helped in putting the correct dough into the right oven, all while Saaya did the setting for them. Only when everything's done, they closed the lid and wait for it to be done.

Time is really the essence here. Saaya instructed Kasumi to prepare the raw dough in advance, while she dealt with the finished products. The cookies were done in 15 minutes, pastries in 30 while some of the bread in one hour. Even with only two of them in the kitchen, it got rather hectic with lots of movement, mainly Saaya's, going back and forth.

Even for the finished product, more touch-ups were required. Kasumi helped in stuffing some of the bread with pastes and jams, while Saaya touched up the rest for presentation. Or as Kasumi said it, to make the bread 'sparkle'. Even when sometimes the bread overflows with fillings, like the choux and especially the chocolate cornets. "For Rimi-rin!" She said innocently.

At 8:30, the bakery products were more or less done. Saaya stretched a bit as she walked towards the dresser. "Time to get changed." Saaya said as she picked up a set of clean uniform . Lending Kasumi her usual cute yellow uniform, while she wore her mother's, which was less colorful and more elegant. Fortunately, their body sizes did not differ much as the clothes fit each other perfectly.

"Saaya, the uniforms are so cute! Do we look like mother and daughter, now?" Kasumi twirled around in excitement, taking small steps as she was loving the uniform.

"Sure thing. Now, help me put the products on each shelf, my daughter." Saaya chuckled as she played along. Both of them brought each tray of fresh bread out to the bakery display place, in which each shelf had been labeled clearly. Carefully putting them correctly, starting from the top.

After they were done, the last thing to do was to flip the Closed sign to Open.

[Saturday 09:00 : Opening Hour]

Since it was the weekend, the morning hours were more crowded than usual with people coming to buy their breakfast bread. Kasumi stood in the front row, behind the cashier as she observed the crowd that walked in as soon as the bakery was open. Attached to her apron was the 'Trainee' tag that she put on herself so that people would not mind it if she ended up making mistakes. Saaya had given Kasumi clear and precise instructions on what to do, as she supervised (and occasionally helped) on the morning rush. With Kasumi's help in preparation Saaya did not really have to bake the breakfast bread mid-sales anymore, after all they had baked enough for the time being.

After the rush hour was over, Saaya excused herself to prepare for lunch bread ."I'll be in the back, just press the bell if you need me." She entrusted the front row to Kasumi as Kasumi replied with a bright salute, "Yes, mom!" , which caused the entire store to burst with laughter.

Because of the lack of workforce in the kitchen, the lunch bread menu needed to be adjusted for the day. Saaya had no time to use the frying pan to cook the toppings, so most of the menu revolved around oven cooking, or pre-made toppings.

Kasumi's presence really brightened up the bakery. With how talkative she was, the customers immediately liked her presence, and tolerated her small mistakes and lack of experiences.

"Oh, Yamabuki bakery has been overtaken by Toyama bakery? Pensive." A familiar voice could be heard from the entrance as Kasumi greeted. "Welcome to Yamabuki bakery!" She said cheerfully, looking for the new customer that seemed to know her. Kasumi noticed Aoba Moca who was standing inside her favourite bakery with the bread tray and tong, looking for the variety of the bread of the day.

"Ah, welcome, Moca-san! I am helping the shop for the day, Saaya's at the back baking lunch bread." Kasumi was so happy to see a familiar face, a change of scene from the housewives from the morning. "Oh, that sounds so fun. I'd like to volunteer to take the job offer but I'd have eaten all the bread by myself. So, which ones are the ones you helped to bake? I will avoid them if I can." The lead guitarist of Afterglow grinned as she said that.

"That's mean! Basically the more deformed ones. Saaya said it was okay, and so far the other customers have yet to complain about those!" Kasumi tried to defend herself in which Moca just laughed it off. She seemed to be scanning for those 'deformed' breads that Kasumi mentioned, and actually took every single one of those. Even the cookies, as she brought ten sets of bread to the cashier.

_Moca can be nice at times…_ Kasumi thought to herself as she packed all the bread. Upon receiving the bag of bread, Moca took the bag and lifted it above her head with a sense of triumph, as she said, "Now I have saved Yamabuki bakery from the food critique. Moca is a savior once again." _or maybe not._ Kasumi just chuckled at the display.

"Anyway here's the money. Don't worry, since this is a Yamabuki bakery bread and Saaya approved of them I'm sure it will still taste good. All the best for the day" Moca smiled as she encouraged Kasumi, must have teased the poor girl too much. She hummed as she walked out of the bakery, buying more bread than usual.

[Saturday 12:00 : Lunchtime]

As it was nearing lunchtime, the bakery started to quieten down. Saaya appeared to restock some sold out items, to add on the display. Kasumi actually wondered why Saaya was still making the bread back there as she said, "But there's no one left here, the crowd had gone home!"

Saaya chuckled as she heard that."Lunch time at weekends are generally more quiet because people do not need their quick bites. But, after they are done with their lunch in restaurants around the shopping district, they will grab some bread to bring back home. Not to mention some of them still have bread for lunch as well, so we have to cater for everyone."

Kasumi nodded in understanding as she remembered something. "Speaking of lunch, we haven't had anything to eat, yet.. Wait a minute, I will help you buy one!" Kasumi did not even ask about what Saaya would like as she rushed out of the bakery immediately. She knew that the quiet would not last for long after all. "Ah wait, Kasumi! The lunch money!" Saaya tried to stop her but the energetic girl was unstoppable. "Where did she even get that energy from anyway, after work?" Saaya chuckled from the display.

As Saaya was done with her display, Kasumi returned with two boxes of hamburgers from the local restaurant nearby. She was greeted by more variety of bread on the display, in which they were more colorful than the breakfast ones. More fillings, more glazed, more meat.. "Come to think about it, burgers are basically bread too, right? We are currently eating outside bread in a bakery…" Kasumi said as she handed Saaya her paperbag. Saaya just chuckled as she heard that, both of them took a seat in the front counter just in case people walked in.

"That may be true, the burger shop next door actually bought their buns from our bakery. So it's allowed!" Saaya said so as they enjoyed the burger together. Their meals were occasionally interrupted by customers who wanted to have bread for their lunch. Fortunately, there were not many of them, although some did ask whether they really sold hamburgers in the bakery (in which Saaya explained while laughing).

Both of them managed to finish their lunch as the rush hour resumed. Saaya was right, after the lunchtime was over, people from around the shopping district flocked into the bakery to purchase the bread before they went home. The queue was so long that even Saaya needed to help in the frontline counter by opening another register.

The crowd only dissipated at 14:30, with most of the bread sold out. Especially the lunch bread that Saaya made before, leaving just the staple bread. "Finally, a 30 minutes break." Saaya told Kasumi as she took her seat.

"So, how is working in the bakery? Tiring, right?" The girl chuckled as she saw the usually energetic Kasumi now sprawled on the chair. "It is tiring. But it's so fun! In a single day I have talked to perhaps 100 people!" Kasumi smiled happily, definitely had fun for the day.

"You can go back after this, if you want. I can handle the dinner crowds alone. I can't trouble you further." Saaya was very thankful for the help. Kasumi had been in the bakery since 5am, after all. "It is okay, I will help you for a full day! I don't have anything else to do after all." Even when she looked tired back then, the girl seemed to be already recharged. Saaya wondered where the energy reserves came from as she thanked Kasumi for further help.

Both of them checked their phone as they rested, replying to messages from their family who seemed to be worried about them (albeit for different reasons). They also checked the Poppin' Party group messages, and since the entire band was busy for the day there were only 4 new messages.

[13:03] Arisa: I hope they are alright. They haven't chatted at all since morning.

[13:08] O-Tae: Worried about Kasumi?

[13:08] O-Tae: You should go and check on her, then.

[13:20] Rimi-rin:I wish I could go. I want the choco cornets...

[13:37] Arisa I am not worried about her!

[14:34] Saaya: Ah, apologies for the lack of reply. We are having our break time now.

[14:35] Saaya: Do pay a visit if you are able to. You can take a look at Kasumi wearing our uniform.

[14:35] Kasumi: And Saaya is my mom for today!

[14:36] Rimi-rin, Arisa, O-Tae: ?

Break time was over as Saaya excused herself to the kitchen once more. "I'll wash some stuff that we do not need anymore, and then prepare the bread for dinner time. Please help me to watch over the shop once again. I'll be back in around an hour". Kasumi nodded affirmatively as she kept her phone back in her pocket, and got ready to resume work.

There was not much crowd for almost an hour as Kasumi heard a familiar voice. "Kaa-kun? It's really you! When I passed by I saw you but I wasn't so sure!" Happy to see her childhood friend in the shopping district, Kitazawa Hagumi entered the shop with a paper bag in her hand.

"I am helping Saaya for the day! A state of emergency!" Kasumi approached Hagumi excitedly. That was when Hagumi gave the bag to Kasumi. "Ooh, that's fun. Here, share this with Saaya then!" The bassist of 'Hello, Happy World!' proudly gave away the croquette from her family's meat shop, bringing extra because of Kasumi.

"Also, I am here to buy some white toast. Is it sold out? The shelf is empty." Hagumi scanned the bakery for her order but unable to find anything since most of them were sold out during the rush hour. "Saaya said she is making new ones, and she had been in the kitchen for a while. You can wait here!" Kasumi said as she put the paper bag behind the counter.

"Oh, that's a good idea! I am on my break from the shop, after all!" Hagumi ended up waiting inside the bakery, and chatted with Kasumi on various (and random) topics. "You look nice in the bakery's uniform. Maybe you should help mine next time. I'll lend you my favourite butcher apron!". Kasumi immediately replied, "I will!"

"Ah, there are customers? Sorry for the wait.' Saaya appeared while restocking some bread from the tray to the shelves. "Ah, there's the toast!" Hagumi smiled as she took them from the tray. "Kaa-kun, go help Saaya. I can check out on my own." She brought it to the cashier, and paid the exact amount, all while Kasumi headed back to clear up more trays.

"Thanks for the bread! Oh, and I gave you croquettes for dinner. They are airtight-packed so they will still be crispy!" Hagumi told Saaya as she finished her purchase. "Oh? Then you shouldn't even pay for the toast." Saaya smiled as she said that, thanking Hagumi in the process.

"It is alright! Just give Kaa-kun more bonus then!" The orange-haired girl chuckled as she was getting ready to go back to her shop. "I am getting paid, yay!" Kasumi raised her hands up as she heard that, all excited. Both Kasumi and Saaya walked Hagumi out of the bakery as they waved to each other.

On weekdays, people would visit the bakery after office hours to bring them back home, either for dinner or their breakfast the next day. However, since it was a weekend, the crowd arrived much later, as they showed up after dinner instead. It was not as crowded as well, but they tend to be less picky from the remaining selection.

"We don't really have many leftovers that way, as a result. Besides, some bread type last for more than one day. They can also still be made into another variety on the next day. Like sandwiches and toast." Saaya explained to Kasumi after the crowd finally dissipated. "As expected from the popular Yamabuki Bakery!"

[Saturday 19:00: Closing Time]

The clock showed that it was 7pm as Saaya walked towards the entrance, this time flipping the sign to [Closed]. "Thanks for the hard work." She said with a bright smile, happy to be able to pull the day off. "Now please help me with carrying the leftover bread back, I have to deal with the cash register." Even after the bakery closed, it seemed like there were still things to do.

Kasumi picked up the bread tray as she gathered the leftovers which consist of toasts and loaves. As Saaya said, it lasts for more than one day so they basically did not waste anything that day. Kasumi beamed after noticing that, as she put the bread back on the kitchen as instructed. Saaya was done with the cash register as she approached the kitchen table to vacuum seal those bread to maintain their texture.

"Now let's eat dinner together. Bring me Hagumi's croquette while I set the oven. We are going to reheat it and it will taste close to new!" With Hagumi's help in the packaging, Saaya can just set the oven at very low temperature and wait for 15 minutes, after all. While waiting, Kasumi had a good idea as she picked up her phone.

"Let's take a picture together so that the rest know what they are missing out on!". The rest of the band did not show up on that day, after all. After taking a selfie with their uniform on, Kasumi posted that on the group chat, which was immediately replied by them.

[19:35] Arisa : Oh, you're right. Saaya looks like her mom, indeed.

[19:36] O-Tae : Mommy Saaya.

[19:36] O-Tae : I am jealous now.

[19:37] Rimi-rin: Does it mean that Kasumi can bake for us now? I want to try her choco cornets.

[19:37] Arisa: Rimi, no. Don't give her ideas.

[19:37] Saaya: Ahaha;

Both of them were chatting for a while until the oven dinged, telling them that dinner was ready. "You are right, Saaya! It's still hot and crunchy, just like new!" Hagumi and Saaya did know what they were doing , as it was clear that both of them did it often. "I know, right? This is my favourite dinner after a long day." Saaya smiled as both of them finished their dinner before resuming back for cleanup.

"Please don't clean the pastry oven yet, I still have things to do." Saaya told Kasumi as they were busy wiping the table. Kasumi nodded, "Sure thing! I'll clean the front row, then!". She once again returned to the bakery, cleaning the bread cabinet and floor before turning the lights off.

"I am done, Saaya!" Kasumi returned back inside as Saaya replied, "Once again, thanks for the help. I can't really pay you yet but I'll be sure to do so once my parents are back." Saaya felt obligated to pay Kasumi back, after all.

Kasumi thought about it as she said, "I know how you can return the favor! I want to have a stayover tonight! You will be lonely if you sleep alone!" She had never stayed in Saaya's house, after all and it would definitely be fun to spend the rest of her day with her favourite drummer!

Saaya blushed for a bit as she smiled, definitely looking happy from the offer. "Of course, you can stay here for the night. Now, you can take a bath first and wait inside my room, the room is not locked after all. I still have one little thing to do." Saaya welcomed Kasumi inside her house, opening the door from the kitchen that led to the second floor. "See you soon, then!" Kasumi waved as she cheerfully went up.

Kasumi was finally done with her bath as she relaxed on top of Saaya's bed. The bed was pretty big, perhaps from the fact that Saaya's siblings occasionally slept together with her. Kasumi was waiting for Saaya to return as she heard a knock on the door. As she opened it, Kasumi saw Saaya bringing up a plate filled with unique-looking pastry.

"I have thought of this pastry ever since last night, when you said you want to help me. It's a new product, I hope it will taste good." Saaya said as she offered a piece to Kasumi. "It's a Joulutorttu, a jam-filled tart from Finland. The star shape totally reminds me of you."

"It's so sparkling and cute! I love it!" Kasumi took the tart with excitement as she admired how it looked. "Tell me how you like them. There are a lot of jam varieties, so I am curious which actually taste best." Saaya chuckled as she excused herself to take a shower. As she was done with it, Kasumi just replied with "I like all of them! The fruit jams and the chocolate!", in which Saaya only replied with a chuckle. "I am glad to hear that it tasted good. Now let's start our sleepover…"

Not long after, Saaya's family returned to the bakery. When her mother went to check into Saaya's room, she found her daughter and her friend were already sleeping. It seemed that both of them slept immediately from the exhaustion, right after both of them laid on the bed. Smiling as she gently closed the door, she told Saaya's siblings, "Let's not disturb them, they have worked very hard."


End file.
